Conventional absorbent articles have included an absorbent core which is composed of woodpulp fluff and is sandwiched between and bonded to an outer cover layer and a liquid permeable facing sheet layer. The bonding may comprise strips of hot melt or pressure sensitive adhesive, overall or patterned heat sealing, a printed pattern of adhesives, or the like. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,462 to Woon et al. Attachment of the absorbent core to a facing layer of tissue with sprayed adhesive is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,536 to Ruffo. The absorbent core may include particles of superabsorbent material. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,103 to Harper et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,823 to Kellenberger et al. In addition, the absorbent structures may include one or more layers of tissue wrap material. Such tissue wraps are, for example, described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,626 to Lee et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,603 to Meyer et al.
Conventional tissue wrap arrangements for absorbent cores have, however, not provided an adequate seal about the periphery of the absorbent core when the absorbent core includes relatively large amounts of superabsorbent material. As a result, excessive amounts of superabsorbent particles may migrate from the absorbent core and move to undesired locations within the absorbent article. If the superabsorbent material moves to a location against the outer cover, the dry particles may perforate the outer cover and the wetted particles may create an unsightly, slimy feeling gel against the outer cover. If the superabsorbent material moves to the liner layer of the article, the wetted superabsorbent may produce a undesired gel against the wearer's skin. As a result, there has remained a need for an apparatus and method for producing an absorbent article having an improved tissue wrap structure about an absorbent core.